syncfusion-wpf-scheduler

WPF Scheduler (SfScheduler) Implementation

The WPF Scheduler (SfScheduler) is a comprehensive scheduling control for managing appointments through an intuitive user interface similar to Outlook calendar. It provides eight different view types, appointment management, resource grouping, drag-and-drop, recurrence patterns, timezone support, and extensive customization options.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user needs to:

• Implement calendar or scheduler functionality in WPF applications
• Create appointment management systems
• Build resource scheduling applications
• Implement meeting or event management interfaces
• Add Outlook-like calendar views to applications
• Schedule and manage recurring appointments
• Handle multi-resource scheduling scenarios
• Display appointments across different timezones
• Implement drag-and-drop appointment rescheduling
• Create custom appointment editors or views
• Import or export appointments to/from standard iCalendar (.ics) files
• Highlight restricted date ranges in TimelineMonth with special time regions

Component Overview

Key Capabilities:

• 8 Built-in Views: Day, Week, WorkWeek, Month, TimelineDay, TimelineWeek, TimelineWorkWeek, TimelineMonth
• Appointment Management: Normal, all-day, spanned, and recurring appointments with full CRUD operations
• Resource Scheduling: Multi-resource support with grouping by resource or date
• Drag-and-Drop: Intuitive appointment rescheduling with visual feedback
• Recurrence Patterns: Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly with exception handling
• Timezone Support: Multiple timezone handling with automatic DST adjustments
• Built-in Editor: Appointment creation and editing with validation
• Customization: Extensive styling, templates, and appearance options
• Accessibility: WCAG compliance with full keyboard navigation
• Advanced Features: Load-on-demand, reminders, localization
• ICS (iCalendar) Import/Export: Round-trip appointments with standard RFC 5545 .ics files
• Special Time Regions in TimelineMonth: Opt-in date-column-spanning blocks via TimelineViewSettings.ShowMonthTimeRegions

Documentation and Navigation Guide

Getting Started

📄 Read: references/getting-started.md

• Assembly deployment and NuGet packages
• Creating basic scheduler application (Designer, XAML, C#)
• Basic appointment setup and configuration
• First day of week and theme support
• Initial setup and quick start examples

Views and Display

📄 Read: references/scheduler-views.md

• Available view types (Day, Week, Month, Timeline variants)
• ViewType property and switching between views
• View-specific features and rendering
• Current date display

📄 Read: references/view-customization.md

• Time interval and slot height customization
• Working days and hours configuration
• Special time regions (lunch breaks, holidays)
• Special time regions in TimelineMonth via ShowMonthTimeRegions
• Selection restrictions in timeslots

Appointments and Data

📄 Read: references/appointments.md

• ScheduleAppointment class and properties
• Creating and managing appointments
• ItemSource and AppointmentMapping
• Custom business objects and data binding
• All-day and spanned appointments
• Recurrence appointments and patterns (RRULE)
• Recurrence exceptions

📄 Read: references/appointment-editing.md

• Built-in appointment editor
• Creating, editing, and deleting appointments via UI
• Editor customization and validation
• Editor events and custom logic

📄 Read: references/appointment-drag-drop.md

• Drag-and-drop functionality
• Rescheduling appointments
• Drag-drop restrictions and events

ICS Import and Export

📄 Read: references/ics-import-export.md

• ExportToICalendar(fileName) — write all appointments to .ics (Downloads folder)
• ImportICalendar() — open a file picker and parse the selected .ics
• RFC 5545 mapping (VCALENDAR / VEVENT / RRULE / EXDATE / RECURRENCE-ID)
• Round-tripping recurrence patterns and changed occurrences
• Timezone handling on export and import

Resource Management

📄 Read: references/resource-grouping.md

• Resource concepts and SchedulerResource class
• ResourceGroupType (Resource vs Date grouping)
• Assigning resources to appointments
• Multi-resource scheduling
• Resource appearance customization

Calendar and Time Management

📄 Read: references/calendar-types.md

• Calendar systems (Gregorian, custom)
• Calendar configuration

📄 Read: references/date-navigation.md

• DisplayDate property
• Programmatic navigation methods
• Date change events

📄 Read: references/timezones.md

• Scheduler and appointment timezones
• Automatic timezone conversion
• Daylight saving time handling
• Multi-timezone scheduling scenarios

UI Customization

📄 Read: references/ui-features.md

• Header customization and templates
• Context menu and commands
• Busy indicator
• Selection modes and events

Advanced Features

📄 Read: references/advanced-features.md

• Accessibility (WCAG, keyboard navigation)
• Localization and culture-specific formatting
• Load on demand for large datasets
• Reminders and notifications
• Migration from SfSchedule to SfScheduler

Quick Start Example

Basic Scheduler with Appointments

XAML:

<Window xmlns:syncfusion="http://schemas.syncfusion.com/wpf">
    <syncfusion:SfScheduler x:Name="Schedule" 
                            ViewType="Week"
                            FirstDayOfWeek="Sunday" />
</Window>

C# Code-Behind:

using Syncfusion.UI.Xaml.Scheduler;

public MainWindow()
{
    InitializeComponent();
    
    // Create appointment collection
    var appointments = new ScheduleAppointmentCollection();
    
    // Add sample appointment
    appointments.Add(new ScheduleAppointment
    {
        StartTime = DateTime.Now.Date.AddHours(10),
        EndTime = DateTime.Now.Date.AddHours(12),
        Subject = "Client Meeting",
        Location = "Conference Room A",
        Notes = "Discuss project timeline",
        AppointmentBackground = Brushes.LightBlue
    });
    
    Schedule.ItemsSource = appointments;
}

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Custom Appointments with Data Binding

// Custom business object
public class Meeting : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    public string EventName { get; set; }
    public DateTime From { get; set; }
    public DateTime To { get; set; }
    public Brush Color { get; set; }
    public bool IsAllDay { get; set; }
}

// ViewModel
public class SchedulerViewModel
{
    public ObservableCollection<Meeting> Events { get; set; }
    
    public SchedulerViewModel()
    {
        Events = new ObservableCollection<Meeting>
        {
            new Meeting
            {
                EventName = "Team Standup",
                From = DateTime.Now.Date.AddHours(9),
                To = DateTime.Now.Date.AddHours(9.5),
                Color = Brushes.Green,
                IsAllDay = false
            }
        };
    }
}

XAML:

<syncfusion:SfScheduler x:Name="Schedule" 
                        ViewType="Week"
                        ItemsSource="{Binding Events}">
    <syncfusion:SfScheduler.AppointmentMapping>
        <syncfusion:AppointmentMapping
            Subject="EventName"
            StartTime="From"
            EndTime="To"
            AppointmentBackground="Color"
            IsAllDay="IsAllDay" />
    </syncfusion:SfScheduler.AppointmentMapping>
</syncfusion:SfScheduler>

Pattern 2: Recurring Weekly Meeting

var recurringMeeting = new ScheduleAppointment
{
    StartTime = new DateTime(2026, 3, 24, 14, 0, 0), // Monday 2PM
    EndTime = new DateTime(2026, 3, 24, 15, 0, 0),
    Subject = "Weekly Status Meeting",
    // Recur every Monday for 12 weeks
    RecurrenceRule = "FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO;COUNT=12",
    AppointmentBackground = Brushes.Orange
};

Pattern 3: Resource-Based Scheduling

// Add resources
Schedule.ResourceCollection = new ObservableCollection<SchedulerResource>
{
    new SchedulerResource { Id = "1001", Name = "Dr. Smith", Background = Brushes.Blue },
    new SchedulerResource { Id = "1002", Name = "Dr. Jones", Background = Brushes.Green }
};

Schedule.ResourceGroupType = ResourceGroupType.Resource;

// Assign appointment to resource
var appointment = new ScheduleAppointment
{
    StartTime = DateTime.Now.AddHours(2),
    EndTime = DateTime.Now.AddHours(3),
    Subject = "Patient Consultation",
    ResourceIdCollection = new ObservableCollection<object> { "1001" }
};

Pattern 4: Timezone-Aware Appointments

var globalMeeting = new ScheduleAppointment
{
    StartTime = new DateTime(2026, 3, 25, 10, 0, 0),
    EndTime = new DateTime(2026, 3, 25, 11, 0, 0),
    Subject = "Global Team Sync",
    StartTimeZone = "Pacific Standard Time",
    EndTimeZone = "Pacific Standard Time"
};

// Scheduler displays in local timezone automatically
Schedule.TimeZone = TimeZoneInfo.Local.Id;

Pattern 5: Import / Export iCalendar (RFC 5545)

// Export all appointments to a .ics file in the user's Downloads folder
await Schedule.ExportToICalendar("TeamCalendar");

// Import appointments from a .ics file chosen via the system file picker
await Schedule.ImportICalendar();

Pattern 6: Special Time Regions in TimelineMonth

// Switch to TimelineMonth and enable special time region rendering
Schedule.ViewType = SchedulerViewType.TimelineMonth;
Schedule.TimelineViewSettings.ShowMonthTimeRegions = true;

// Add a region spanning several days (time-of-day is ignored in TimelineMonth)
Schedule.TimelineViewSettings.SpecialTimeRegions.Add(new SpecialTimeRegion
{
    StartTime = new DateTime(2026, 6, 10),
    EndTime = new DateTime(2026, 6, 14),
    Text = "Audit Week",
    Background = new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromRgb(0xF5, 0xE1, 0xB4)),
    Foreground = Brushes.Black,
    CanEdit = false // blocks drag-drop and new appointments in those columns
});

Key Properties Overview

Core Properties

Property	Type	Description	Default
ViewType	SchedulerViewType	Sets the view (Day, Week, WorkWeek, Month, TimelineDay, TimelineWeek, TimelineWorkWeek, TimelineMonth)	Month
ItemsSource	IEnumerable	Appointment collection to display	null
DisplayDate	DateTime	Currently displayed date	DateTime.Now
SelectedDate	DateTime?	Currently selected date	null
FirstDayOfWeek	DayOfWeek	Starting day of the week	Sunday
TimeZone	string	Scheduler's timezone identifier (falls back to TimeZoneInfo.Local.Id when null)	null

View Navigation & Configuration

Property	Type	Description	Default
AllowedViewTypes	SchedulerViewType	Allowed view types for navigation	All
AllowViewNavigation	bool	Enable navigation from week/month/timeline-month to day/timeline-day on header tap	false
ShowDatePickerButton	bool	Show date picker button in header	true

Date Range Properties

Property	Type	Description	Default
MinimumDate	DateTime	Minimum date that can be displayed	DateTime.MinValue
MaximumDate	DateTime	Maximum date that can be displayed	DateTime.MaxValue
BlackoutDates	ObservableCollection<DateTime>	Dates where interaction is disabled (Month and TimelineMonth views)	null

Data Binding & Mapping

Property	Type	Description	Default
AppointmentMapping	AppointmentMapping	Maps custom objects to ScheduleAppointment properties	null
ResourceMapping	ResourceMapping	Maps custom objects to SchedulerResource properties	null

Header Customization

Property	Type	Description	Default
HeaderHeight	double	Height of the scheduler header (the date-picker / month-name header above the view)	32 (WPF) / 40 (WinUI)
HeaderTemplate	DataTemplate	Custom template for header	null
ViewHeaderHeight	double	Height of the per-day/per-resource column header inside Day/Week/Timeline views (on ViewSettingsBase)	50
ViewHeaderDateFormat	string	Date format string for the per-column view header (on TimeSlotViewSettings)	"%d"
ViewHeaderDayFormat	string	Day-of-week format string for the per-column view header (on ViewSettingsBase)	(defaults to abbreviated day name)
ViewHeaderTemplate	DataTemplate	Custom template for per-column view headers	null

Resource Scheduling

Property	Type	Description	Default
ResourceCollection	ObservableCollection<SchedulerResource>	Collection of scheduler resources	null
ResourceGroupType	ResourceGroupType	Grouping mode (Resource, Date, None)	None
ResourceHeaderTemplate	DataTemplate	Custom template for resource headers	null
ResourceHeaderTemplateSelector	DataTemplateSelector	Template selector for resource headers	null

View-Specific Settings

Property	Type	Description	Default
DaysViewSettings	DaysViewSettings	Settings for Day/Week/WorkWeek views	Default
MonthViewSettings	MonthViewSettings	Settings for Month view	Default
TimelineViewSettings	TimelineViewSettings	Settings for Timeline views	Default

Calendar & Culture

Property	Type	Description	Default
CalendarIdentifier	string	Calendar system identifier (Gregorian, etc.)	Gregorian

UI & Interaction

Property	Type	Description	Default
ShowBusyIndicator	bool	Shows loading indicator during operations	false
EnableToolTip	bool	Enable tooltips on appointments	true
ToolTipTemplate	DataTemplate	Custom template for tooltips	null
EnableReminder	bool	Enable reminder functionality	true

Context Menus

Property	Type	Description	Default
AppointmentContextMenu	ContextMenu	Context menu for appointments	Default
CellContextMenu	ContextMenu	Context menu for cells	Default

Drag & Drop

Property	Type	Description	Default
DragDropSettings	DragDropSettings	Configure drag-drop behavior	Default

Appointment Editing

Property	Type	Description	Default
AppointmentEditFlag	AppointmentEditFlag	Controls which edit operations are allowed (Add, Edit, Resize, DragDrop)	Add | Edit | Resize | DragDrop
AppointmentResizeController	AppointmentResizeController	Custom resize behavior controller	new AppointmentResizeController(this)

Load On Demand

Property	Type	Description	Default
LoadOnDemandCommand	ICommand	Command invoked to load appointments for the visible date range on demand	null

Key Methods

Method	Description
Forward()	Navigate forward by one view interval
Backward()	Navigate backward by one view interval
SchedulerDateToPoint(DateTime)	Convert date to screen coordinates
PointToSchedulerDate(Point)	Convert screen coordinates to date/time
ExportToICalendar(string fileName = null)	Asynchronously exports all appointments to an .ics file written to the user's Downloads folder. Returns Task<bool> (true on success).
ImportICalendar()	Asynchronously opens a file picker and parses the selected .ics file into the scheduler. Returns Task<bool> (true on success).

Key Events

Event	Description
ViewChanged	Raised when the view type changes
DisplayDateChanged	Raised when the display date changes
SelectionChanged	Raised when the selected date/appointment changes
CellTapped	Raised when a cell is tapped/clicked
CellDoubleTapped	Raised when a cell is double-clicked
CellLongPressed	Raised when a cell is long-pressed
AppointmentTapped	Raised when an appointment is tapped/clicked
AppointmentDoubleTapped	Raised when an appointment is double-clicked
AppointmentDragStarting	Raised when appointment drag begins (can be cancelled)
AppointmentDragOver	Raised while dragging appointment over scheduler
AppointmentDrop	Raised when appointment is dropped
AppointmentResizeStarting	Raised when appointment resize begins (can be cancelled)
AppointmentResizing	Raised while appointment is being resized
AppointmentResizeCompleted	Raised when appointment resize completes
AppointmentEditorOpening	Raised when appointment editor is opening (can be cancelled)
AppointmentEditorClosing	Raised when appointment editor is closing (can be cancelled)
HeaderTapped	Raised when header is tapped/clicked

Common Use Cases

1. Meeting Room Scheduler - Manage conference room bookings with resource grouping
2. Medical Appointments - Doctor scheduling with patient appointments and recurring slots
3. Project Timeline - Track tasks, milestones, and team member assignments
4. Event Calendar - Public event management with all-day and multi-day events
5. Employee Shift Planning - Resource-based shift scheduling with drag-drop
6. Class Schedule - Educational timetables with recurring sessions
7. Service Booking - Appointment booking system with availability management

Important Considerations

• Performance: Use LoadOnDemand for large datasets spanning multiple years
• Data Binding: Custom objects must implement INotifyPropertyChanged for updates
• Recurrence: Use RRULE format for recurrence patterns (standard RFC 5545)
• Timezones: Always specify timezones for global applications
• Resources: ResourceIdCollection must match ResourceCollection IDs
• Views: Choose appropriate view based on use case (Day for detailed, Month for overview)
• TimelineMonth Special Time Regions: Opt-in via TimelineViewSettings.ShowMonthTimeRegions = true. Time-of-day is ignored in TimelineMonth — only the date portion of StartTime / EndTime controls the rendered span.
• ICS Export Location: ExportToICalendar always writes to the user's Downloads folder (%USERPROFILE%\Downloads). The .ics extension is appended automatically.
• ICS Duplicate Handling: ImportICalendar skips appointments whose Id already exists and changed occurrences whose RecurrenceId already exists, so re-importing the same file is idempotent.

Next Steps

Start with Getting Started for installation and basic setup, then explore specific features based on your requirements using the navigation guide above.